Japan’s steel exports up 16 percent in November

According to the customs statistics released by the Japanese Ministry of Finance, Japan's iron and steel product exports in November 2012 amounted to 3.5 million metric tons, increasing by 16 percent compared to the same month of 2011 and up by 5.5 percent month on month, while Japan's steel imports hit 713,191 metric tons, with a month-on-month decrease of 6.7 percent and a year-on-year decrease of 9.5 percent.

Regarding Japan's major steel export markets, in November 2012 the country's steel exports to South Korea totaled 624,648 mt, up 10.3 percent, while steel exports to China decreased by 8.3 percent to 446,052 metric tons; the export volume to Taiwan amounted to 309,005 metric tons, down 0.2 percent; exports to Thailand totaled 474,715 metric tons, down six percent; while exports to the US came to 147,487 metric tons, decreasing by 3.65 percent, all compared to the previous month.

In November 2012, Japan imported 252,606 metric tons of steel from South Korea, down 21.5 percent, it imported 35,398 metric tons from China, up by 11.6 percent, while imports from Taiwan came to 69,963 metric tons, decreasing by 11.8 percent, all compared to October 2012.